ArduiPod Box: A low-cost and open-source Skinner box using an iPod Touch and an Arduino microcontroller

Abstract

This article introduces the ArduiPod Box, an open-source device built using two main components (i.e., an iPod Touch and an Arduino microcontroller), developed as a low-cost alternative to the standard operant conditioning chamber, or “Skinner box.” Because of its affordability, the ArduiPod Box provides an opportunity for educational institutions with small budgets seeking to set up animal laboratories for research and instructional purposes. A pilot experiment is also presented, which shows that the ArduiPod Box, in spite of its extraordinary simplicity, can be effectively used to study animal learning and behavior.

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Author Notes

I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions on a draft of this article, my peers and students for their constant support and encouragement with this project, and my wife for letting me fill the house with gadgets and tools to make it possible. Thanks are also due to Joseph Dattilo, from Virtuabotix LLC (http://www.virtuabotix.com), Mike Ridenhour, from Redpark (http://www.redpark.com), and Ancare (www.ancare.com) for their assistance with some of the components used in the several prototypes of the ArduiPod Box. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Oskar Pineño, Psychology Department, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11550, USA; email: oskar.pineno@hofstra.edu.